Simmer

Ragù, as the Bolognese call their celebrated meat sauce, is characterized by mellow, gentle, comfortable flavor.

Blanching the chopped orange in boiling water before cooking it with the cranberries removes any bitterness from the peel and pith.

Removing the seeds from one of the chiles lessens the punch. If you like more heat, leave them in. If less, scrape out seeds from both chiles.

Figs bring a touch of sweetness to this bright, chutney-ish sauce and nicely offset the sharpness of the vinegar.

Simmer the bones of a rotisserie bird in water with a handful of aromatics and flavor-packed mushroom stems to make the umami-rich broth for this comforting soup.

This one-pan, stovetop-only pasta turns mushroom- and spinach-stuffed shells into an easy weeknight dinner.

You don't need to cut the finished star sheets into pappardelle—farfalle, lasagne sheets, or any other noodles on the larger side would also showcase this pattern well.

This recipe makes deeply flavorful broth out of something that most people throw away: the hard rinds of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

Sweet potatoes almost melt as they cook under pressure in the Instant Pot, lending a silky texture and sweet flavor to this harissa-spiced chili.

Love beef stew and braised short ribs? Consider giving oxtails a try. These surprisingly meaty cuts contain a ton of collagen, which melts into the stew to create an ultra-rich, ultra-silky texture and flavor. In fact, you might end up needing to thin the finished stew with water before serving.

If you can’t find corona or gigante beans for this stew, use smaller white ones like cannellini. Keep in mind that they’ll cook a lot faster, so give the ham a 30-minute head start.

Keep in mind that the level of heat in harissa pastes varies widely from brand to brand—adjust how much you add depending on your preference. If your stew skews hot, just top it with a dollop of minty yogurt for instant relief.

Shred perfectly cooked chicken thighs, then add the bare bones back to the simmering pot for an ultra-rich stew. Zesty gremolata, chopped bacon, and fresh lemon add even more flavor.

This super-easy recipe is a perfect canvas for punchy, crunchy toppers like toasted coconut and mustard seeds with turmeric oil and a zingy chutney. The dal is vegan but full of hearty protein thanks to the chickpeas, lentils, and coconut milk.

A tangy cabbage slaw and zesty, charred avocadoes dressed with lime juice and chili powder brighten up this earthy, warming stew.

Sometimes, mid-cooking, I like to jettison my plan and make a new, better plan. The trick is knowing when it’s better. I’m not saying I randomly hobble myself, cruelty-cooking-show style, it’s just that it’s exciting to change it up sometimes. And it surprises the family. Historically, some of the best jettison dinners at my house have started out as regular old pasta night and ended up as gather-around-the-skillet-with-bowls-and-bread night. This was one of those.

Using ground pork instead of stew meat is a practical and easy way of making menudo on a weeknight.

Pineapple is the main ingredient in this saucy Filipino dish and makes the chicken sweet, tender and tasty.

Almondigas is a hearty Filipino soup consisting of meatballs and thin, salted Chinese noodles made from wheat flour that cook quickly.

Sinigang is adobo’s close contender for the title of National Dish of the Philippines. Like many Filipino dishes, this soup is bold in taste: sour, salty, slightly sweet, spicy, and umami.